Faced With Revenue Loss And Fall In Tourists Numbers, Kerala Likely To Reopen Bars

The liquor bars which have been shut since two years may soon reopen. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government is said to be considering the reopening of bars which were shut during the previous government.

BCCL

The government's possible u-turn can be due to two reasons - the loss in revenue and fall in tourists.

Kerala Finance Minister TM Thomas Isaac admitted that the tourism sector has been hit and something has to be done.

BCCL

According to estimates Kerala tourism has suffered losses of around Rs 4,000 -5,000 cr since non-five star bars were forced to shut under a policy which aimed at total prohibition by 2023.

According to the tourism department, conferences, conventions and meetings which were a large part of the revenue are increasingly being shifted to places Goa and Sri Lanka.?

BCCL

The non-five star bars were converted to beer and wine parlours, but failed to attract business.

However not all the 850 bars which were shut can resume business even if the policy is revised. This is because nearly half of them a located within 500 meter radius of highways, a threshold the SC had mandated for all liquor shop to function.

BCCL

There is also a proposal to amend the Kerala abkari shops disposal rules, 2002, and foreign liquor rules, 1953, to remove restrictions imposed on women from undertaking employment in bar hotels, beer and wine parlours.